Illinois Valley Times

A defamation lawsuit filed earlier this week by Illinois state Rep. Jerry Long (R-Streator) against his opponent in the District 76 House race will be amended to include the Democratic Party of Illinois, the Illinois Valley Times has learned.

A source familiar Long's lawsuit filed against Lance Yednock (D-Ottawa) Wednesday in LaSalle County's Thirteenth Judicial Circuit told the Illinois Valley Times that the decision to add the state Democratic Party was prompted by an inflammatory mailer that surfaced Thursday. 

Sexual harassment charges against Long referred to in the mailer are false and the defamation lawsuit will be amended to add Yednock's party as a defendant in the case, the source said.

Long has represented District 76, which includes Ottawa, Streator and LaSalle Peru, since he took the seat from then incumbent Democrat Andy Skoog during the 2016 General Election. 

The seat had been filled by a Democrat for the previous four decades and has been referred to by members of that party at "the one that got away."

Long filed the seven-page lawsuit against Yednock over the Democrat's campaign ads paid for by the Friends of Lance Yednock that accuse Long of committing sexual harassment, referring to previous allegations by an as yet unnamed accuser. 

The ads also claim that "Republicans asked Long to resign over sexual harassment allegations against him," the lawsuit said.

"At all times relevant and material, the plaintiff, Jerry Long, had a reputation within the community of being a good citizen, a charitable person and had a good reputation such that the voters of the 76th District elected him as their Illinois State Representative," the lawsuit said. "Any statement that the plaintiff, Jerry Long, was asked to resign over allegations of sexual harassment is false and the defendant, Lance Yednock, knew said statement was false prior to and at the time he made said statement in the aforementioned political ad."

The lawsuit claims Yednock's allegations in the political ads "were made with malice."

The lawsuit as filed Wednesday is asking for at least $50,000 in damages against Yednock and/or his campaign.